"Don't hit the bugs."(Kevin Hughes) Marcus hated his job. Oh sure, it paid well. Really well. And when he was off duty, well, it is like living in another world. Well…it is a different world. Sort of. Ever since that weird experiment opened up a window into an Earth that didn’t get hit by a giant meteor, have its giant continent drift apart, or even have a moon over head, well people want to come see it. And they pay good money. Real good Money.

But dealing with some of the truly Wealthy and Elitist clientele…well that made Marcus hate his job. He loved the Scientists, they were just like grown up children to him. Their curiosity and awe made him able to tolerate the buffoons with to much money and to little class. Plus the Scientists listened to him…and took his Safety Briefing seriously.

He had never lost a Scientist to the local flora and fauna…he couldn’t say the same for spoiled rich brats. In every case, it was the Clients Fault. Marcus did manage to save a few over the years…but the ones he couldn’t…still haunted him. This latest bunch, that just came through the Portal a few minutes ago…was going to be trouble. He could tell right away. God how he hated this job.

“Rule number one. And get this through your thick heads, has two parts…”

Before Marcus could even get out the rule…he was interrupted by a smarmy comment, and snickers from the group of eight rich people.

“Then how come you call it rule number one…if it is actually two rules?”

The Woman who said that was the head of the largest (and richest) Fashion Conglomerate on Earth…the Old Earth. The one with meteorite strikes, volcanoes and more than one continent. She was looking at Marcus with that gleeful edge some people seem to get when they think they are smarter than someone else. Marcus sighed.

“Emily, it is Emily…isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Well, Emily, you see the reason it is in two parts, is simple, you need both parts to understand it is one rule.”

He could tell by the titters that they thought he was losing this battle of wits. He sighed again.

“Rule Number one is never, ever, for any reason, step off the path. And never ever swat anything that touches you while on the path. As you can see, it is one rule…with two parts.”

Emily made a moue.

“Why can’t we step off the path, if things might touch us if we stay on it?”

Seven heads seemed to think that was a valid question.

“Emily, and the rest of you. If you stay on the path, anything that does brush up against you, or fly onto you…will not hurt you. Somehow the plants and animals of this Earth have learned that the Path is safe for them. They won’t bother you…it is like the path is neutral ground to them. But step off of it, even a single millimeter…and all bets are off.”

There were complaints, more questions, and finely they just wanted to get on with it, and see the path. A path that wanders through a world unlike the one they left. To much oxygen for one thing, almost no weather for another, and plants, animals, and insects that couldn’t be imagined back on Old Earth. Like Six foot ants…as just one example. An example that these eight folks didn’t think was real. Until they saw…

“Jesus, Marcus…is that an Ant?!”

Marcus smiled under his breath.

“Yes, Harold…it is. Now just wait right here until it - and all its buddies- cut across. You can take all the pictures you want, just don’t touch any of them.”

Even Emily hung back. Ants the size of Ford Escorts, moving like a herd of Buffalo…just a few feet from where you are standing….well, that’s enough to make most folks freeze.

It took a full ten minutes before the last ant left the path on whatever task it was pursuing. Marcus waved them on. And then it happened.

A butterfly the size of a Harpy Eagle back on Old Earth, with the wing span of a Condor landed squarely in front of Emily. It was beautiful. It’s wings were like feathered rainbows that dazzled in the heavy air. Sadly, it had landed between Marcus, and most of the group…and Emily and Harold. Marcus yelled over:

“Just stay still. Don’t touch it! Take as many pictures as you want. They usually only stay landed for a few seconds…and it will be gone. So stay safe and stay away.”

Emily said:

“Are you kidding me? If I had one of these wings, I could make millions in the Fashion Industry. That is if the material of the wings isn’t to rigid.”

And with that, and before Marcus could even register the insane movement she was about to make…she reached out to stoke a wing. Speaking out loud as she did:

“Why be a scaredy pants, Marcus…it is just a butterfly. You just don’t realize the potential you have been hiding from those of us with more business acumen.”

With that , she reached out to stroke the butterfly wing. There was a quick buzz, a thrust of something that looked like a four foot spiked spear, and then the Butterfly took off. Leaving behind two Humans. Both dead. A hole you could put a pineapple through was right in the center of each of their chests. Blood was everywhere.

When the screaming stopped. Marcus called them all to stand by him. A good fifty feet away from the corpses.

“Shouldn’t we get a Doctor…or call an Ambulance?”

This time it was Marcus who snickered:

“And just where do you think we are going to get an ambulance…here? They are both dead. You will get to see in a moment, why you can’t leave the path.”

“What? You are just going to leave them there?”

As the last syllable left the entitled man’s lips…the plants on either side of the path spewed scavenges of every size and shape. A mound of writing creatures wrestled over each other for any remaining scraps. It was all over in mere seconds. Not even blood stains were left on the path. Three people dropped to their knees…another one vomited into the side of the path…but kept her body and arms on the path.

Marcus took the quiet party back to the Portal. He filed his report. The Portal would be closed for a few days…as it always was after an incident. Marcus would use that time to walk the path alone.

He almost laughed when the last couple left via the portal. He heard the man say to the woman:

“It was her own fault. He told her not to hit the bugs."

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